Mitsubishi May Bring Fuel Efficient Gas Version of i-MiEV to U.S.
The all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV isn’t set to hit U.S. shores for another 18 months, but already the company is considering selling a gas version of the car alongside its battery-powered sibling in the U.S. to compete in the same segment as the Smart Car.
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Both electric and gas versions of the i car are already on sale in Japan. There, the gas version uses a tiny 660cc turbocharged engine—which could be eaten for breakfast by most American motorcycle engines. To make the gas i-car more appealing to U.S. tastes, reportedly Mitsubishi is planning on offering the same 1-liter, three-cylinder engine they provide to Daimler for the Smart. That’s right, the German-built Smart Car uses a Mitsubishi engine.
If I were Daimler, I’d be doing a double take just about now at the shot my supplier just fired over my bow.
Having driven both an i-MiEV and a Smart, I would say the winner on the comfort, roominess, and sportiness fronts is the i-MiEV. In Europe, the gas i-car starts at about $16,000, very comparable to the starting price of the Smart. (Special bonus for reading all the way to the end: download a template for building an i-MiEV model out of paper).
What do you say, Daimler? Time to get a new Smart Car engine supplier?
Source: Automotive News (subs. req’d)
Image Credit: Nick Chambers
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November 24th, 2009 at 11:42 am
The fact is that the European smartcar has always used a Mercedes Benz 3 cylinder Turbo charged Diesel engine, and exported them to Canada until 2008 when the US version of the smartcar was created. It was dumbed down for the American market,(must not embarrass Detroit) and used a petrol engine from Mitsubishi (cheaper) The MB diesel is 799cc but the petrol version is 1 litre and uses more fuel.
I have put 70,000km on my Diesel smartcar here in Canada, I have driven the US version and find it gutless by comparison. The Diesel gets 60mpg in the city but the petrol version can only manage about 40mpg. I could go on , but the Diesel is the way to go and the latest version in the UK gets 85mpg!
November 25th, 2009 at 3:04 am
Daimler actually owned a large stake in Mitsubishi when the Smart was developed. There is nothing unusual about competing car companies sharing technology either.